Dr Sean Mason, Research Fellow from The University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine was a special guest at the Hart Winter Walk on July 19. His presentation on his research findings to around 60 growers and advisors was very well received and he has been invited back to speak at the Field Day in September.
Sean is involved in a trial at the Hart Field Site that is investigating how soils respond to levels of potassium (K) and sulphur (S), research that is part of the GRDC’s More Profit from Crop Nutrition project.
“Some of our research suggests that there are some inaccuracies in common soil tests for S and K levels and they need to be refined,” Sean said.
“Taking soil samples from a depth of below 10cm may get around problems of nutrient stratification and improve results”.
Cultivar and variety responses to phosphorus (P) Is another area of interest, and Dr Mason said recent work with South Australian Grain Industry Trust (SAGIT) had been investigating whether new varieties of either wheat or barley could have lower P requirements.
“This project has identified that P can still be a major limitation to crop yields on specific soil types,” he said.
Hart is South Australia’s premier agronomic field site, managed by farmers and industry professionals to provide independent, cutting edge and innovative research that is relevant to the broad-acre farming community.
The Hart Winter Walk is an informal guided walk around the trial site, with guest speakers presenting their observations on current trials.